Meant to Be
by LilsNightlock
Summary: The young Princess, Nagisa, has been formally engaged to the Prince of a far away country since she was three years old. All she's ever seen of him have been portraits of him, but now her family is finally travelling over to meet him. But things aren't going quite as they're supposed to. It appears that Nagisa is falling for someone else instead... (Nagisa/Tomoya)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: At first this may seem like a Nagisa/Sunohara story, but don't worry, it's not (as you may know by the description). This was a very interesting AU I wanted to write. I hope you enjoy it!**

_**Prologue**_

Nagisa stared intently at the portrait of the boy that was sitting in front of her. He looked funny. He had a very round face, she thought; his eyes were such a bright blue. His mousy brown hair framed his grinning face. The boy looked very happy, Nagisa thought. As she studied him, she decided that she would like to play with him some time soon.

The little girl turned and looked at her mother, who was kneeling behind her, watching her only daughter lovingly. Her mother was a little sad, but she smiled nonetheless. Just looking at the boy in the portrait made her think of the future and what was going to happen to her tiny ray of sunlight of a daughter. She didn't have to let her go yet, though. The young woman smiled at Nagisa.

"What is it, my darling?" she asked.

"Can I play with this boy, mama?" responded Nagisa, crawling into her mother's lap. "He looks funny. I think I'd like to play with him."

"I'm afraid not, Nagisa. This little boy lives far away, and I don't think we will be able to meet him for a long time. You'll be able to meet him one day though, I'm sure."

"Oh," replied Nagisa, her face falling momentarily. But she was a bright little toddler. Almost as fast as her mood had fallen, she perked back up again, smiling widely as she gazed at her mother's face. "What's his name?"

"He's a prince from a big country, just like you're a princess! His name is Youhei Sunohara. I'm sure he asked about your name, too!"

"Really? So he wants to play with me as well?"

"Oh, yes. I'm positive he does." Sanae lightly touched a hand to her daughter's head, pushing back her hair slightly. "Your head is still warm. You need to get back to bed, my darling."

"But mama, I feel fine..." Nagisa said, burying her face into her mother's chest. "I don't wanna go back to bed..."

"You must. You want to grow up to be a big, strong princess, don't you? That won't happen if you don't get better!"

Nagisa sniffled and didn't respond. After a few seconds, Sanae gently lifted her up into her arms and turned to walk out of the room, taking one last glance at the boy in the painting. Youhei Sunohara. Her daughter's future husband. She shook her head and nodded to the maid who pulled the door open for her.

"I can take the princess back to her room if you'd like, Your Highness," offered the maid.

"No thank you, I'm alright for now," said Sanae with a smile. Nagisa's room wasn't far away, but even so, by the time her mother had laid her back down on her bed, she was sound asleep.

Akio set down a new portrait next to the one from five years earlier. It had been a long time since the Furukawa family had last been contacted by the Sunohara family. He glared at the boy in the portrait. He had met neither him nor his parents, yet he hated him already. Maybe it was the prospect of his precious daughter being taken away from him some day in the future. She was worth so, so much to him.

"Honey, is it ready?" Sanae called from just outside the room. She was hand-in-hand with Nagisa.

"Yeah. Come on in."

Sanae led Nagisa into the small room, where at one end, two paintings were positioned. Eight-year-old Nagisa tilted her head as she looked between the two boys in the paintings. "Are they the same person?"

"That's right. Those two are both the same boys," replied Sanae quietly.

Youhei Sunohara looked essentially the same as he did in the first painting. His brown hair was slightly darker than it used to be, and ever so slightly longer, but it was in the same style as the first one. His eyes were still that bright, bright blue, and he was still grinning. Even his face was still baby-ish.

"He looks very friendly," commented Nagisa. But really, that was all she had to say.

"Do you like the look of him?" asked Akio tentatively.

"Yes, of course! I think he looks like a very nice person. That's why he seems friendly," Nagisa said, looking up at her father with a smile.

"I see," said Akio indifferently. He looked back at the painting. "What do you think, Sanae?"

"I think he looks like a very nice... friend... for Nagisa," Sanae said hesitantly.

Nagisa looked at her parents in confusion. They were acting quite strangely today, it seemed.

The maid girl was laughing as Nagisa ran around the garden with her. They were both barefoot, skipping on the soft, dry, green grass of the summer. The girl had dark purple, even blue-ish hair, some of it tied into two bunches at the top sides of her head. She and the younger, silver-haired girl watching by the sidelines both wore the same creamy white coloured dress uniform that hung heavy from their bodies. The running girl didn't seem to mind.

"Nagisa! That's enough playing for now. It's time for Ichinose and Sakagami to go back to classes, anyway," called Sanae from the steps of the huge palace.

The girls stopped running and Nagisa frowned. Generally, though, Nagisa didn't throw temper tantrums. Especially not at her age. She turned and smiled at the purple-haired girl. "I have to go now. I hope you and Sakagami-san enjoy your classes. See you later, Kotomi-chan!"

Kotomi nodded and walked over to the younger girl, taking her hand to lead her across the gardens towards a building on the opposite side of a path of cherry blossom trees. Nagisa skipped over to where her mother was standing, waiting patiently for her.

"What is it, mom?"

"Well, another painting of the boy has arrived. And your father and I have something important to talk to you about."

Thirteen-year-old Nagisa knew exactly who her mother was referring to as 'the boy'. She had sat in the little room studying him at random occasions for many years now. She often wondered why he was so important, why she didn't get to be friends with any other princes, and why her parents seemed to get so pensive whenever the boy was talked about across the years. She let her mother lead her into the house and back into the little room.

Youhei Sunohara looked a little different this time, but only for one reason. His hair was no longer a mousy brown but a bright blonde. Other than that he looked largely the same, only older. Another thing Nagisa noted was that he didn't have as much of a grin this time. He was merely smiling. Despite this, he still looked happy.

The family stood staring at the painting in silence this time. Nagisa wasn't entirely sure what was happening. She waited for a while, and then decided it was time she spoke up.

"You wanted to talk to me about something, mom?"

"Oh, yes. Of course," her mother said quickly, almost as if she was snapping out of a trance. "Akio! How about you do the honours?"

"What?! Sanae, why me? You know I'm not good at this kind of thing-"

"Remember what you said about my attempt at baking last week?" Sanae interrupted brightly.

Akio coughed slightly, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. He had insulted the food Sanae had tried to help the Cook to bake, and she had run off crying. When he thought about it, he figured he probably should do something to make up for it. If this had to be what that was, then he had to do it.

"Well, Nagisa, you see..." Akio began. He paused to think about what he was supposed to say. "This boy is not just supposed to be a friend of yours."

"Sunohara's not supposed to be my friend?" Nagisa repeated, confused.

"W-well, not exactly. He's more of a... let's see... well, he's supposed to be how I am to your mother, to you."

Nagisa narrowed her eyes, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. "But dad, you and mom are married and in love, aren't you?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Well, yes, my darling... that's kind of what your father means," said Sanae hesitantly.

"Oh." Nagisa turned to look at the painting of the young prince. "But... I'm not in love with Sunohara."

"You don't really know that, my darling. You've never even met him," Sanae said.

"Well, I suppose so..." Nagisa responded unsurely, looking back at her parents. "When will I get to meet him, then?"

"We've arranged to visit them in four years' time. We think that would be best for you," Akio said.

"When I'm seventeen? That's an awfully long time away."

"Yes, honey. But it's okay, don't worry. The time will go by fast," Sanae assured her with a smile.

Nagisa grinned back, but her smile wasn't truly genuine. She didn't want the time to go fast. She wanted all the time in the world to go by before she had to meet her future husband.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

It was finally Nagisa's seventeenth birthday... and it was being spent on a coach.

The princess was unbelievably nervous. It was Christmas eve, and the Furukawa family was finally travelling to see the prince that Nagisa had known for so long but never met, not even once. She had spent long hours just sitting in the painting room, staring at his face to try and condition herself to be in love with him. But no matter how long she gazed at him, it never got her anywhere. She never felt any kind of attraction. Never felt any kind of connection.

She hadn't revealed this to either of her parents. But there were other people in the palace that she trusted and could talk to; the two maid girls who were really her best friends, Kotomi Ichinose and Tomoyo Sakagami, usually. Both of the two slightly younger girls knew that Nagisa didn't love Sunohara and wasn't sure about being with him. Nagisa was sure her parents had an idea too, but they never mentioned it.

Right now, Kotomi and Tomoyo weren't with her. She was alone in a horse-pulled coach with her parents. The road was bumpy, and it was a long journey. Nagisa wasn't entirely sure how she was going to survive it. Kotomi and Tomoyo were together in another coach; they had been chosen to travel with them, since the wedding was over half a year away yet and the Sunohara family needed more 'servants' to help deal with the new additions to the family. The Furukawas never really liked the term servant. They usually tried to avoid it.

"So, Nagisa, looking forward to reaching the Sunohara residence?" Akio asked with a grin.

"Of course, father!" Nagisa said with a smile. She had to admit, she was a little excited to meet Youhei Sunohara and his family, but she was more looking forward to getting out of the coach and being able to go and find Kotomi and Tomoyo. "I'm sure Sunohara is a very wonderful person."

"Oh, I'm sure he is, too," Sanae agreed. "We've spoken to his parents. They insist that he's a lovely boy. And - did we ever tell you, Nagisa? He has a younger sister who sounds wonderful as well."

"Oh, really?" she asked. Suddenly she felt genuinely excited. She had always wanted a little sister, and although Tomoyo was two years younger than her, they were always just friends rather than sisters. "What's her name?"

"If I remember correctly, his sister's name is Mei," Akio replied. "She's quite a few years younger than him. Six or so."

"She sounds amazing."

And then the carriage fell into silence again.

It seemed like forever until the coaches finally arrived at the palace belonging to the Sunoharas. It probably was forever, Nagisa thought. They had even stopped overnight and set up tents to sleep below the stars. Nagisa had barely slept at all that night.

And now it was Christmas day, and Nagisa's seventeenth birthday was over. It was freezing cold. She was surprised that it wasn't snowing yet, as it did every year at home. Maybe, here where the Sunoharas lived, it didn't snow as often as it did where her family's palace was. She still began shivering as soon as she stepped out of the carriage.

Almost immediately, Tomoyo and Kotomi were at her sides. "We're here for you," whispered Tomoyo, who almost looked older than Nagisa. Her long silver hair reached nearly to her waist. She wore a black band in her hair, and a newer version of the long cream dress that the maids had always worn. Her blue eyes were bright and sparkling. Nagisa smiled. Tomoyo was so beautiful, she almost expected that even in her attire, she would be mistaken as the princess rather than Nagisa herself.

However, the two girls couldn't be there for Nagisa for very long. They were dragged away by the older servants towards another part of the building, where they were to be introduced to the routine and shown around. Nagisa was suddenly worried. What if she couldn't spend time with the two of them anymore?

Sanae linked arms with her daughter, and Akio walked beside them as they made their way up the steps of the palace to the front door. Nagisa nearly tripped over her own long, white dress multiple times. As they got closer and closer, the door opened and a young man stepped out with two adults - the prince and his parents, Nagisa assumed. Her heart started to beat faster and faster.

The top of the steps was getting closer.

So was the front door.

And so was the prince.

Nagisa looked at the floor as they reached the spot just in front of Youhei and his parents. She quickly glanced up at him once they had completely stopped, catching his eye and blushing as she looked away again. He was the same as he was in all the paintings, only older. She wondered what he thought of her.

"H-hello!" He suddenly said, making Nagisa jump. She looked up at him. His face was red. Suddenly, he didn't seem so intimidating after all. "It's nice to meet you!"

Sunohara extended a stiff arm to offer her his hand. She took it and they shook, and suddenly Sunohara got down on his knees and kissed the top of her hand swiftly. Then he stood, jumped back, and brushed himself off.

Nagisa tried her best not to laugh. This prince, who she had been so scared of meeting, seemed to be more scared of her than she was of him. "It's nice to meet you too," she said, having to suppress a giggle.

"It is also nice to meet your father. And... your older sister, as well?" he added, nodding nervously to Nagisa's parents.

Sanae chuckled and Akio's eyebrows twitched. "Watch what you say, punk," Nagisa heard Akio huff under his breath. She fought the urge to laugh out loud.

"Youhei, these are both Nagisa's parents," said Youhei's mother sternly. She was tall, with short blue hair.

Suddenly, Nagisa noticed a girl standing just inside the shadow of the doorway. She had the same blue hair as her mother - and the same brown eyes. She looked shy yet mischievous. The girl noticed Nagisa staring at her and quickly stepped out into the light.

"Hi, I'm Mei Sunohara. You're very pretty, ma'am! Both of you are!" She exclaimed, looking up at them in wonder.

"Mei! Get back inside. Go. Shoo!" Her mother snapped, motioning her back into the palace. Mei grinned slightly and skittered back inside.

"We would like to offer you a tour around our palace," Youhei's father said. He was also tall, with short brown hair like the younger Youhei had, and he also had his son's blue eyes. Nagisa thought he looked slightly less intimidating than his wife did. She wondered what it would be like to live with such strict-looking parents. Would _she_ have to live with them once she got married to Sunohara?

As they began the tour, Nagisa started thinking about the marriage. The palace was large, white, and clean, similar to her own home only with less decoration. Sunohara walked stiffly beside her the entire time, but Nagisa only spoke to him every now and again. Nagisa supposed she wouldn't mind marrying Sunohara. She didn't love him so far, but maybe one day she would. And it wasn't like she was ever going to find someone else to love. Being a princess was very much a lonely job, even if it was easy. She never got the chance to meet many people her age. Although she probably would be able to if she were one day Queen, she would probably still have to marry a royal. She didn't even want to reach the age of a Queen. The thought of ruling an entire country terrified her.

In the midst of her thoughts, Nagisa didn't realise that she had been left sitting on the bed in her own bedroom, alone. How nobody had realised that she had been left behind, she had no idea. Maybe she wasn't important enough, or maybe they were too caught up in the excitement. Either way, she had somehow been forgotten.

All at once, it hit her like a train. Suddenly she felt a huge weight on her shoulders; it was so heavy that she couldn't move. She sat on the edge of the bed, knuckles turning white as she gripped the mattress' edge. Nagisa was so exhausted that she didn't even have the energy to cry. She knew she should catch up with the others, but she couldn't bring herself to. "I love my palace. I love my family. Why do I have to leave it all behind?" she said quietly, biting her lip.

She was so absorbed that she didn't notice the boy who was standing at the door, watching her.

"Tomoyo... Kotomi... do I have to leave them too? What will I do once my only friends have left me?"

"Just go and find more," the boy at the door said. Nagisa's head jerked up, and she stared at him in shock. Tall. Short, dark blue hair. Dark blue eyes. He wore a simple white uniform with a black, apron-like garment over the top. A servant? She didn't know. "All you have to do is go and find more friends. It's not too hard. Are you lost?"

Nagisa snapped out of her shock and blushed - partly in embarrassment, and partly because of something else. She couldn't take her eyes off the boy. Oh, no. This couldn't be good. This was _not_ good. "Um... yes. I suppose I am lost. I know this is my room, but my family and I were being shown around and I... got left behind..."

The boy nodded. "Come on then. Let's go."

Nagisa stood, embarrassed, as the boy left the room without even waiting for her. She had to lift her dress and run slightly to keep up with him. After that, the boy didn't speak to her again, so she stayed silent too. She wondered if she would be allowed to speak to the servants in this palace.

"Oh, Nagisa! Where have you been? We were so worried," exclaimed Sanae, as Nagisa and the servant returned to the entrance hall. She ran towards her daughter and pulled her into a hug.

Sunohara's mother sniffed. "Hmm. Yes. Well, never mind. We have a banquet ready, so now we shall be making our way to the dinner hall."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Nagisa said, bowing her head as her mother let go of her. "Thank you very much."

The two families began to leave the room. As they did, Nagisa being pulled by her mother, she turned her head to look for the servant boy. But he was gone.


End file.
